Motor antifreeze device



Aug. 3, 1943.

A. M ERDAN MOTOR ANTIFREEZE DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l MA TER/A L IN VENTOR.

Aug. 1943. A. MERDAN 2,326,050

MOTOR ANTIFREEZE DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MATERIAL -l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ATTORNEY ..from the right hand side",

Patented Aug. 3, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i X' -'2 326,05i) I Moron DEVICE Alexander Merdan, New York, N. Y. Appuaeogocaba 22, 1941, Serial No. 416,051 roiaims, (Cl. res-174 f This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a motor anti-freeze service.

More specifically, the invention proposes a device as mentionedwhich is intended to be used in emergency only to prevent'the freezing of a liquid cooled motor; A construction is proposed which may be made operative at willaccording' to the discretion of theuser, and which willdrain the liquid from the cooling system'of a motor in the event that the temperature falls below a predetermined amount. The device is particularly.

intended for'overnight storage of motors, or storage at other periods when theyQarerno't being watched.

Still further the terize the motor anti-freeze device by a discharge connected with the water or liquid jacket ofth'e motor, fusible material normally" closing said discharge, and an arrangement whereby "the fusible material ismelted in the event th'atfthetemperature falls below the predetermined; degree'so that the water orf'liquid may" draii ;out through thedischargez 11 The invention proposes a construction in which there is a wound spring held from unwinding invention proposes to charac- Fig.5 isa verticalsectional view. taken on the line 55.of Fig. 2. V r ,Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the thermostat shown in Fig. 1.

-Fig. T7 is a longitudinal sectional view of. an

adapter for the motor anti-freezedevice shown in Fig. 2. i

Fig. 8 is a sectional View of a heater for engagement through the water jacket of a motor for heating the water thereof.

The motor anti-freeze device, in accordance with this invention, includes a discharge l0 adaptby the fusible material, and in'which said springv connects with a switch for turning off the circuit of a heater capable of melting the fusible mate- .rial after the heater is set intfo operation by a thermostat control meansx" Still further the invention struction of a heating" plug-"which may be used in conjunctionwith the water jacket of a motor to heat the waterof'liquid to prevent freezing, when this is desired.

For further comprehension of this invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following'description and accompanying drawings, and to'lthe appended claimsin which the various novel features of the invention are morepartic ilarly set forth. In the accompanying drawings forming a Fig.4 isa vertical sectional V ew. taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4A is'a perspective view of the springjper sen.

proposes the coned to be mounted on the water jacket ll of a I water cooled motor M.

An electric heater l2 which is normally not operating is mounted within thedischarge I0 in .sucha way. as to not completely block the discharge. The electric heater I2 is arranged in an "electric circuit 13 which is normally open and .which when closed is capable of operating the heater l2. A thermostat I4 is arranged to close "a circuit l3 when a certain temperature of the atmosphere is reached.

J The circuitv I3 also includesa switch l5 capable of opening the circuit l3 after it has been closed by the thermostat M. The switch ,;I-5 is associated with means for opening it, which means includes a spring l6 normally in a wound condition. This spring. I6 is located within the discharge ltl. Fusible material H, such as lead, 'certaincompositions of. waxes, etc., is located Within the discharge iii! and normally blocks the discharge so that the water from the water jacket ll cannot seep out, and the fusible material also holds the spring .I 6 from unwinding. The material H has such characteristics that it will melt when the heater l2 operates.

The discharge I0 is in the nature of a tube which has a collar 2!] fixedly mounted thereon. This collar. 20 is provided with threads 2| by which it is threadedly mounted through atapped The electric heater I2 comprises a ferrule 22, which is mountopening in the water jacket H.

, ed transverselythrough the discharge tube It).

A heating filament 23 is mounted through the ferrule 22 preferablyof lead material which is surrounded by suitable metallic tubing 24*. One

end of the filament 23 is attached to an end portion 22 which closes one end of the ferrule 22. The other end of the filament 23' connects with a contact 24, which is insulated from the device. Thiscontact '24 is cooperative with a contact 25 mounted on' an annular insulation memberZS turnably mounted'around the discharge tube III. The contacts 24 and 25 comprise the switch l5.

Normally, the contacts 24 and 25 engage each other, but as heat from the heater 23 melts the fusible material I! the tenthe collar which is grounded to the water jacket H.

In Fig. 7 an adaptor is shown, comprising a tube having external threads 69 for engaging a tapped 1 like.

cuate slots 39 through which fingers .31 engage. I

These fingers 3i connect with the annular'mem-' her 26 for turning the member .25 to open :the' switch I5. The fingers 3i extend through a cap 32 which is turnably mounted on the casingmember 29.

' ported stem and its otherend 41' attached to the stationary casing *membz 29' to cause the ten- 'sion of the spring H5 to turnthe stem when it is freed. V v

The contact connectswitha lead- 42 which eitehds through the annularinsul'ation member 26 and 'connects with a coritactS mounted-on the periphery thereof. The contact '43 is engaged -by a contact 44 mounted through an insulation memben fifi which'in turn is mounted through oneside of the-casing, member-29. The "contact M connects with--a lead 46, see l,

which forms apart of the circuit {13. l y

The lead 45 connects with a 'portion of a biman member moiinted within" the thermostat *fl as showriin Fig? 6 and hereinafter described.

The thermostat "itljcomprisesa casing 47 arme with perforations E8 through which The fingers 3i continue into a strip 33. 1 which extends diametrically across the discharge -w it-h the shell contact 64 and the other end con- :nected with a central contact 65.

theatinosphere may rea'ch the interior thereof.

" Witliin the casing -'4;'l' there is a blimetal member "49' wliich is engageablewitl'i the ends of a contaotf' strip 553 The endsof this contact stripiil *tend'tomovetowards each other-'due to theinherentf re'siliency -of the contact strip. They V are-heldiirspacedpositions by adjustmentscrews iS-Pmounted on the s'ides'ofthe casing 47. "Each of the ends of the contact strip'fiil are PIOVidEd with pointers 52 each'of which works across a scale 53 formedon the casing 47. Thearrangemantis such that the screws '55 may be turned 7 t'o movethe' ends ofthe ontact strips 5i! topo-' "sitionsindicated bythe pointers 52 and the scales v 53:56 asto set the thermostat to predetermined temperatures.

function at 7 The contact .58 of the thermostat l4. connects with a lead 55 which connects with one terminal f of the thermostat M'mounted on the dashboard 5'l 0f the summonses which isprovided with the 'said' motor M. flheother contact of the switchfifi is-connected by a lead 59 to the high T tension terminal-of the battery; 69. lhe other terminal of-the-battery fiiliis provided with a ground '56." The-filament 23 ofthe heater I2 is ..also'; grounded :by being connected with the end M-Whi'ch is connected-with the discharge [Brand ;zcooling-system of the'motor. 1

opening'in a Water jacket and internal threads 10 for receiving the threads 2 l s In Fig. 8 a plug type of heater is shown which is capable of heating the water of the cooling system of a motor or other device. This heater has'abody portion 63 of insulation material supporting ashe'll contact 65' adapted to threadedly engage in an opening of a water jacket or the A heating filament 65 is mounted within the casing 63 and has one end 65 connected The body 35 has an annular recess 51 extended inwards from its inner end an d which the water may engage to place the water in closer relationship with the heating filament 65.

".Theoperationaofithe device'is as follows:

When zthet operatori of .the vehicle believes that stheitemperature will :fall below the freezin point of the water,:-or ithei freezing'pointz'of the liquid rot-the liquid cooling :system, hermerely :closes the "switch 56. Thenrthemotor maybe left in safety. Should the temperature :fall below the prede- ;termined :amount the thermostat .M will close the circuit 13 which then operates the heater l2. Theheater will-meltthefusible material H which -flows out from.theudischarge-zl9. This releases the spring l6 and -frees:the water or liquid which may flow:outconthetdischarge H3.

When the spring 16 is freed it unwinds and turns the stem 31 which in turn moves the strip =33-sothat the-fingers :3 I turn the annular mem- .ber' .26z-to disengage the ;contacts24 'and- 25 of -water=oriliquid-flows out from the discharge l8 .and thu s.'is 'prevented from freezing within the .If desired, heaters such-as illustrated in Fig. fimay be -engaged. .-on; the water jacket ofthe .motorand connected with a suitable electric cir- -cuit, of supplying :heat to maintain the liquid abovefreezing. This is an "alternate system to that ofxdischarging gthe liquid before it freezes.

-While have illustratedand described the preferred embodiments of myninvention, itis to .baunderstood that rI-do-not limit myself to the :precise constructions. herein disclosed and the right is reserved-to-allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as de-- fined in the appended claims.

Having thus: described -my-invention, what I .claim as new, and desire :to secure by United .states Letters Patent is:

1....A motor ,anti-freezecdevice; comprising a discharge for the waterjacket of a motor, an

electricv heater .within said discharge, an open electric circuit for-operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when chargeand holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt;upon operation of said heater. I j V 2. A motor anti-freeze device, comprising a discharge for the-water ja'cket of a motor, an

electric heater within said discharge, an open electric-circuit for operating-said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when a certain temperature is reached, a switchfor opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and including a wound spring in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking said discharge and holding said springfrom unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said discharge being in the form of a tube and being provided'with a threaded section by whichit may be threadedly engaged through said water jacket.

3. A motor anti-freeze device, comprising a discharge for the water jacket of a motor, an electric heater within said discharge, an open electric circuit for operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when a certain temperature is reached, a switch for opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and including a wound spring in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking said discharge and holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said electric heater comprises a tube mounted transversely through said discharge and having an internal heating filament.

4. A motor anti-ireeze device, comprising a discharge for the water jacket of a motor, an electric heater within said discharge, an open electric circuit for operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when a certain temperature is reached, a switch for opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and in cluding a wound spring in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking discharge and holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said electric heater comp-rises a tube mounted transversely, through said discharge having an internal heating filamentgand said electric circuit being connected to operate said filament. 7

5. A motor anti-freeze device, comprising a discharge for the water jacket of a motor, an

electric heater within said discharge, an open,

electric circuit for operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when a certain temperature is reached, a switch for opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and including a wound spring in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking said discharge and holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said switch comprising a pair of contacts oneof which is mounted on an annular insulation member which is capable of turning.

' 6. Amotor anti-freeze device, comprising a discharge for the water jacket of a motor, an electric heater within said discharge, an open electric circuit for operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit whena certain temperature is reached, a switch for opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and including a wound spring. in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking said discharge and holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said switch comprising a pair of contacts one'of which is mounted on an annular insulation member which is capable of turning, and said springbeing connected with means for operating said switch.

7. A motor anti-freeze device, comprising a discharge for the water jacket of a motor, an electric heater within said discharge, an open electric circuit for operating said heater when closed, a thermostat for closing said circuit when a certain temperature is reached, a switch for opening said circuit when closed by said thermostat, means for operating said switch and including awound spring in said discharge, and fusible material in said discharge for blocking said discharge and holding said spring from unwinding and adapted to melt upon operation of said heater, said fusible material being a low melting point lead. V

ALEXANDER MERDAN. 

